Posts from House

Early in their courtship, Al asked Kelly to share her philosophy on life. Without hesitation she said, “live the live!” He cocked his head to the side, and with a puzzled expression, asked, "live the life?” “No,” Kelly explained, “Live the live is much simpler and more authentic. It means to celebrate good will and LIVE every day to its absolute fullest within the means you have.”

Jove is a creator without boundaries. He lives for carrying out a vision—both in his life and in his work as an event planner—and his resourcefulness helps him achieve the result he's after regardless of limitations. Jove's two-story unit in Brooklyn was a sea of large expansive white walls when he first moved in; a blank canvas ready for an artist's eye. Jove's solution: A warm and rustic salvaged wood wall which serves as the focal point for the entire space.

A drive down (and up) windy mountain roads past farms, fields, and old country homesteads will bring you to an unexpectedly adorable log cabin; one that fortuitously persuaded Mia and her husband David to leave their urban Florida home of many years for the simple life in North Carolina. Realizing they would be able to retire early and also be near to Mia's sister Elise—who also shares her eclectic design style—sealed the deal.

Comfortable, welcoming, and stylish, Melissa has masterfully furnished her home on a budget. Rooms that would cost others thousands cost her hundreds. How does she do it? With patience. She has, over the years, scoured the Nashville Flea Market, Goodwill, and Craigslist to make her home a unique and comfortable place to live.

The up-and-coming neighborhood of Berwyn, Illinois is filled with beautiful, historic Chicago-style bungalows. But among them is a special home, a Prairie-style Craftsman house designed by the famed architect George Grant Elmslie,that is unique in its beauty, scale and architectural detail. When Jill and Chris, long-time urban Chicagoans, were searching for a place to start a new family, this architectural gem was just what they were looking for.

With toys, turntables, colors that pop, and vintage posters that will make you long for the days of playing Pacman at the arcade, Tracy and Kenny’s 1961 ranch is modern, playful, and kitschy in all the right places.

Gina has an eye for glamour and sophistication. She studies designers like Kelly Wearstler, Kelly McDonald, and Jonathan Adler. She mixes together fabrics and rugs and lighting like nobody’s business. Yet she has somehow made a home that isn’t stiff or formal. And have I mentioned she lives in a “builder’s special” home? Or that her and Michael’s favorite hobby is motorcycle racing?

The typically expected interior for a New Orleans home is one of exuberance and excesses, fringe, heavy damasks, and saturated colors. Greg’s home is about as far as one might get from such an aesthetic, but is not lacking in character. A few well chosen mid-century and reproduction pieces are punctuated with lively local artwork giving the home the air of a gallery.

I arrived on Meagen and Mike’s street on an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in mid-December. The forty-degree weather, mist and visible green grass didn’t feel like Christmas in Michigan. That quickly changed when I walked up to their colorful 1890 Queen Anne Victorian, which Meagen accurately compared to the house from Disney Pixar’s Up. In addition to bright paint colors, all the Christmas lights were on (inside and out) and I could hear Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas on the record player inside. Christmas time was here.

Everywhere you look inside this family home are delightful details that have been created by homeowner Frances' artistic hand: From the murals that adorn the kitchen walls and breakfast bar, to the mosaics lovingly made from salvaged pebbles, to paintings, ceramics, woodwork, textiles and more. And set against the richly coloured walls and surfaces — deep reds and pinks, inky and peacock blues, purple, shimmering gold and yellows — these all combine to create a gloriously vibrant, welcoming and highly individual home.